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Myth: A New Age CYOA

asxetos

Augur
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
820
Location
Greece
Absinthe I wanted Berty to investigate the 'Unforgotten, Unforgiven', but i can switch him off, if Caenard can provide some good rogue-types to do a quiet investigation on the words. Fangshi, does Caenard have the personnel or connections?
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Can we not split our mentalist mages who work much better as a pair (as we have already seen where one worked her magic while the other worked as a distraction) when our goal is to investigate and mindscan people?
 

asxetos

Augur
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
820
Location
Greece
Well, we only have to find out the people who have the same mental walls as Lord Hesse and we dont need two for that. After we get our suspect list, we can do the assault togather with Thais.
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
...we also need to do it discreetly?

Scanning the Great Lords openly is not the brightest of ideas. Or how do you propose we do that:
Well, we only have to find out the people who have the same mental walls as Lord Hesse and we dont need two for that.
A team working together is much more likely to get inside their brains unnoticed.

If we probe the wrong person and get busted, we are looking at a scandal that is going to make an already bad situation much worse. Argus was clearly concerned about that.

Hell, even if we get busted knowing that we got the 'right' man, it is not much better. They are still Great Lords and they still command a considerable power, while the king appears to have none.
 
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asxetos

Augur
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
820
Location
Greece
Nevill In my plan, Thais has Caenard for support while she is doing her checks while Derryth has Biliku and Uttu. Plus, they dont have to actually invade the people's minds, they only have to check for the defences. In the last update, Derryth didnt have any problem doing that alone while Thais was talking to the lords. I do agree that when we find our targets, we should get Derryth and Thais togather for the mental assault.
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
What kind of 'support' do you have in mind?

Derryth and Thais are Heroes of the Kingdom, two of the most powerful mages the Kingdom has, King's favorites, and now also landholders.

Who the hell are Ceannard, Biliku and Uttu and why would the Great Lords/Princes even consider talking to those?

We didn't have problems with checking Hesse before (though we know it is difficult to scan a brain and maintain a conversation), but we also knew that none of the Lords were mages or had mages with them. This is not always going to be the case.

I don't know, in a delicate situation like this I do not want to spread our forces - the ones that matter - too thin.
 
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Jester

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
1,493
I am probably nitpicking, but those parts disturbed the flow:
"- but if we think of something else we will let you know," you and with a wink." - you add with a wink.
"She grins he needle sharp teeth sliding" - her needle

As for Emperor exit i think that Mazzarin is one most likely responsible.



1)C2 if we cant split
if we can:
C2 Derryth
C3 Thais
C5 Lyssa - get to jail and check if there are any Info to get there, failing that get to academy to learn magic.


2)A 5
B 12
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Absinthe said:
And what exactly is the situation in the south?

No one is really sure as no one has managed to reach Stoneheim and actually return alive. Those that have tried and given up report a number of threats in the area:

1. Very large ghôlish war parties, larger than anything that has been seen since the fall of the kingdom. They attack any target they think they can best.

2. Necromancer armies. Armies comprised of a large number of ghasts and 'fresh' undead. They are mostly interested in attacking refugees and other 'soft' targets. Some people have reported Shades with some groups and other, less, common horrors.

3. Cloaked Riders. Small bands of warriors in disguise, they seem very skilled and many appear to be at least minor mages. They attack those that witness them but their primary focus seems to be assaulting other hostile forces.

4. Blinking Horrors. No one is really sure what theses are. They do not seem too interested in the dwarven civilians, instead preferring to attack any armed group. They blink in and out of existence as the race along the sands, green and red magic billowing behind them. They seem to be generally hostile to everyone though they tend to focus on the undead.

5. Eberhardt Rebels. With renewed spirit and improved weaponry the rebels are at it again. Their groups tend to be on the smaller side but the persecution of the last month or so has done wonders to root out incompetents and 'fair weather' followers. Those that reamain are capable and dedicated.

All of these groups are slaughtering each other and anyone that gets in the way, the situation in the south is a complete mess as a result.

Nevill said:
Fangshi, did the stone the temple was made of felt similar to the black marble we found in Mayer's mind?

Yes, they felt similar. Neither seemed 'natural' to you.

asxetos said:
Thais and Caenard doing public relations as the Heroes of Blackrock Defence and investigating the Houses, and Lyssa being our contact with Mayer helping him establish a powerbase for us (can the King offer a zero-intrest loan to help us in this regard?).

Ceannard is still at the fort with his men and Nephila making sure that there are no cracks for the beasts to slip through, he seemed a natural fit for the job as he knows what she is and is a consummate professional. You would need to wait for him to finish and return to the city before Thaïs can begin or you would need to send for him now and have someone locate him in the caves and send him back to the city. He will also require payment to act as Thaïs' guard(s) but you can not be sure how much until you talk to him.

The King will not be able to give you any more loans like that, the lords are watching too closely. Mayer could probably give you a loan and even defer the first couple of payments if you wanted but the rate of interest on it would not be zero or near zero as 'he does not do charity'.

asxetos said:
Fangshi, how many roots will it take to heal Bari? Is that number of roots available at the Brothers? Is the king willing to buy them for us (secret fund?)?

It will take about a wagon full and a bit, several hundred to be absolutely certain you have enough fuel. You will not be able to purchase that many from the Brothers, they do not have that many. The king might be able to buy some if there is a pressing need but you used up most of the roots in the city with the last ritual you completed.

Absinthe said:
Fangshi, what are our current options for Black Arrows again?

I will try to find that old post listing the mercenary companies and transfer the information over to give you the exact costs in WPs but your general options fall into two categories.

You can continue to hire out the Arrows for specific jobs or you can attempt to absorb their whole organization permanently. If you attempt to absorb them then there essentially two ways to do that. Buy out Ceannard so that he will retire (more expensive) or make him a partner in your organization with a smaller formal purchase (cheaper but still quite expensive).

Absinthe said:
And I suppose we may as well offer to Greater Heal Mayer if he provides the supplies.

He thanks you but says not to waste the money. He still has one eye and plenty of fingers and he has better things to spend his money on than a few vanities to make himself look more presentable. Derryth thinks he might just be putting on a tough face for her benefit but she has no real way to know for sure.

Absinthe said:
By the way, what happened to making proper ale?

Takes a bit of time. The ladies have the ingredients and it is currently fermenting. Until then they make do with whatever is to hand wherever they happen to be.

asxetos said:
Fangshi, does Caenard have the personnel or connections?

He has the right connections and some of his veteran archers know there way around the less scrupulous social circles of the city but at the moment he is still at the fort with most of his men.

Jester said:
I am probably nitpicking, but those parts disturbed the flow:

Nitpicking is good. :lol:

After a certain point I end up reading what I think I wrote rather than what is actually on the page and I have never been great at proofreading my own work (always helps to have a second set of eyes at the least). I will fix those passages and if you ever find something that does not read properly do not hesitate to let me know. :salute:

Jester said:
if we cant split

Yes, you certainly can.

At the moment you have the following people on hand to work with:

Mages: Derryth, Thaïs, Lyssa

Warriors: Biliku, Uttu, Berty, Skite

Non-Coms: Mayer

The following people are at the fort:

Warriors: Ceannard, Myora, Kaf along with the Arrows and your Blackrock mercenaries.


Edit:

Here is the mercenary information for the last time it came up. The options have not changed dramatically since then:

Kz3r0 said:
I also propose to hire the Arrows on a permanent basis to replace our lost mercenries, acquiring their company basically, if that is possible.

It is a possibility but not one that you can pursue in the short term, archaen is correct, the Arrows are an expensive outfit to buy out.

Ceannard would be willing to sell the Arrows to you for 4000 WPs since he loves his job and has no intention retire.

If you kept him on as an officer he would do it for 3000 WPs.

If you kept him on as a partner he would do it for 2000 WPs.

Finally if you kept him on as a partner and Derryth and Thaïs agreed to sleep with him he would do it for 1000 WPs, he is a simple man with simple needs. ;) (If you could rope in Lyssa too he might do it for 800 WPs...)

There are a number of lesser mercenary companies that you could purchase for substantially less (Note these are not voting options at the moment. You can look into this later but it will take a bit of time.):

Just to serve as an example I will include the entry for the Arrows:

The Black Arrows:

The Black Arrows - One of the most successful companies in the entire Kingdom with over a decade of successful contracts under their belt. They are amongst the finest archers this side of the Cloudspine Mountains and are known for their professionalism. Dressed in black and gold the Arrows have aided you a number of times in the past and have proven themselves competent and dependable. Buying them out would not be cheap though.

Leader: Ceannard

Numbers: Currently the company consists of thirty 'Black Arrows', the name used for Ceannard's fully trained, expert marksmen. (They are amongst the best human archers in the world.) And a further fifty new archers which are not yet counted as full members of the company.

Cost:
To fully buy out: 4000 WPs
To buy out but and keep Ceannard and his officers on: 3000 WPs
To buy out and make Ceannard a partner: 2000 WPs
To buy out making Ceannard a partner but 'negotiating' a little - 1000 WPs
To buy out making Ceannard a partner but 'negotiating' a lot (and often) - 800 WPs

Most established mercenary companies will have their fair share of quirks and specific morals, the Blooded Doves for example:

The Blooded Doves

The Blooded Doves - A human outfit, mostly heavy infantry. They are the former guardians of a minor faith, however a schism in their church has left them without a patron. They take on mercenary work to cover their expenses. They dress in red and white and you met a few of them at Meletē's workshop. You could buy them out if you are willing to respect their faith, provide them with space for a chapel at your facilities and clothe and feed them.

Leader: Ada the Dove

Numbers: Sixty human soldiers. Forty of which are heavy infantry, ten of which are light infantry and ten of which are light cavalry. Their cost is higher than average as each has a great deal of intricate equipment to maintain most of which has a religious significance for them.

Cost:
To fully buy out - N/A (as a religious order you will have to accept them all, including officers.)
To buy out but keep Ada and her officers on - 750 WPs
To buy out and make Ada a partner - 400 WPs

Others have no morals but that is not necessarily an advantage:

'Ta Blue Bastards'

'Ta Blue Bastards' - They are, interesting. You met a few at Meletē's workshop as well. They fight naked and attack with multiple blades. Most of them are dwarves but there are a few mauls and humans as well. They paint themselves in blue dye as they believe it will protect them in battle. They tend to drink most of their money away and so are always looking for new jobs. If you gave them food, board and booze they would gladly fight for you.

Leader: 'Ta Blue Bastard

Numbers: One hundred and twenty 'berserker braves', eighty dwarves, twenty humans and twenty mauls.

Cost:
To fully buy out the Bastard - 100 WPs and twelve cases of the finest whiskey you can get.
To buy out and keep the Bastard and his fellows on - 50 WPs
To buy out and make the Bastard a partner - Free but he will want any and all alcohol you come across.

The Mighty Cocks

The Mighty Cocks - A traditional mercenary company held together by gold, beer and a bit of violence. The Cocks are good at fighting and little else, as such they are often mislead by their employers and short changed when it comes time to pay up. Given their violent disposition the Cocks usually manage to get their payment, in gold or blood, either will do. They dress in gaudy greens and red and tend to prefer cheap, easy to acquire weapons and armour. Given the company's history of violence it tends to attract a disproportionate number of Berserks, Mauls and criminals. It is led by a massive Maul known only as the Cock, there are a number of rather entertaining stories about how he got that name. It is likely none of them are true. Give them gold or blood and they will follow.

Leader: The Cock

Numbers: Ninety brawlers, fourty Berserks, thirty mauls, and twenty dwarves. They are all poorly armed and armoured.

Cost:
To fully buy out the Cock - Free, you will need to challenge him and kill him in single combat. Anything goes.
To buy out and keep the Cock and his lieutenants on - 500 WPs
To buy out and make the Cock a partner - 300 WPs


Finally there are a number of companies that are simply mysterious and would take personal meetings to acquire, for example:

The Seekers

The Seekers - Mercenary mages that are very selective in the jobs they take. There existence is fact but their goals are unknown. All agree that they are looking for something however and that is how they got their name. Some say they are looking for knowledge, some say for power, others think they are searching for redemption while others insist they are simply looking for a fight worth having. Whatever they are looking for they do good work, that much can not be denied. They have never failed to complete a contract but they rarely take on jobs and their rate makes the Arrows look cheap.

Leader: The Old Man in the Mountain

Numbers: Twenty Battlemages and an unknown number of unknown 'guardians'

Cost:
To fully buy them out - N/A
To buy them out and keep their leaders on - unknown, you would have to meet with their leader
To buy them out and make their leaders partners - unknown, you would have to meet with their leader

Edit2:

Absinthe said:
Anyway, lets start by asking for info about all the children, living and dead.

Missed this request in the original batch. I will type out a summary about all of Albrecht's children as soon as I have a moment.
 
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Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Alright, here is the information on Albrecht's children.

Albrecht's many progeny:

The dwarf King has had two wives in his life and before Eleanor he had his fair share of mistresses as well. This has led to a number of children, they are listed below, oldest to youngest (they are all adults now by the way, there are no 'children' among his children). You ask him about his offspring and he agrees to tell you what he knows though he notes that if he knew everything (or even most things) about them he would not need you to do this for him. He is not close to most of his children and that fact it is the single greatest regret he has.

1. Reinhard:

Albrecht's first son and the designated heir. He is tall and broad for a dwarf, strong jawed, keen eyed, he is everything one could want in a prince of the blood. He is an intelligent and effective leader, a gifted tactician and general that spends most of his time in the field with the army. He is well loved by the people and considered a hero of the kingdom by many. He is generous, he is loyal, he is brave, he also hates his father. Albrecht makes no attempt to hide this fact, when Reinhardt's mother died the dwarf took it hard and blamed Albrecht. The two of them had it out and since then they have not spoken privately as father and son. Reinhardt disagrees with his father on the course the Kingdom should take in the future and enjoys considerable military support however he also makes the Great Houses nervous and he has few genuine friends outside of the military. Reinhardt has the ambition to be a traitor and the ability to carry it off but as the designated heir he lacks a clear motive, weakening the kingdom does nothing but weaken his own future as far as Albrecht can see. If he is the traitor then Albrecht advises caution, he is not an enemy to treat lightly.

He is currently traveling with the army south to Stoneheim.

2. Timo:

Albrecht's second son and a joyful if merciless dwarf. He is a plotter, always ha been, and he has been instrumental in helping House Albrecht retain the throne over the last decade. He spends most of his time in a private room at the Silver Flame and it is said he is on very intimate terms with the owner of the establishment. His agents, while not as skilled as the Pathfinders in general, are quite adept at extracting and spinning information. He gets along well enough with the king, he always says the right things and shows due respect for his step mother but there is a 'distance' to him in his dealings with the rest of his family, as if he is unwilling or unable to get too close to them personally. Albrecht worries about him from time to time but he is a grown dwarf and must make his own fate. Timo has spent the better part of his adult life in service to his House and though he has the ability to be a successful traitor Albrcht is not certain if he has the desire to betray his own family like that, still there is something off about the boy.

He should be at the Silver Flame, as always when not on public or private business.

3. Wenzel

Albrecht's third son. A drunkard, a lech, a spendthrift and a gambler. There is little to say about the dwarf that is positive but his older brothers both care for him dearly. Albrecht can not actually tell you much about his son's activities. He comes and goes from the palace as he sees fit and until last year he had a habit of bringing home all sorts of rascals and scoundrels. Albrecht had it out with 'the boy' and since then he has taken up with a group of 'mercenaries' on the far end of town. He fancies himself some sort of 'captain' of 'fighting men' but they are mostly thugs, extortionists and murderers. Reinhard has done what he can to try and reign in his younger brother and Timo does what he can to minimize the scandal Wenzel causes but Albrecht's third son is an embarrassment to the family. Albrecht could see him as the traitor if he could somehow manage to stay sober enough to even plot such a thing. Wenzel has motive but lacks the ability to actually pull it off in Albrecht's estimation.

He should be with his 'company' somewhere on the rough side of town.

4. Jan

Albrecht's youngest surviving son by his first wife. Jan is a quiet dwarf and keeps largely to himself. When he came of age he applied to be accepted to the Royal Academy and without any favouritism on the part of his father he made the cut. Of all the sons born to him by his first wife, Jan is his favourite. Perhaps because he is the only son that Albrecht is still on reasonable terms with. He is a scholar and a researcher, a mage and an explorer. He often takes long trips into the hinterland to research the history of the Kingdom and he has made a number of fascinating discovers about some of the previous dynasties that the king was quick to put to use for more 'practical' ends. Albrecht does not believe Jan could betray him, he does not see what his son would gain from such an act as he has little interest in the kingdom and prefers to pursue knowledge instead.

He should be at the Royal Academy should you wish to speak with him. He normally does not welcome unexpected guests but the King will give you a letter of introduction if you wish to see him.

5. Horst - deceased

All he had was a name. Albrecht's first wife, Rosalind, died in childbirth with the baby. Albrecht was not with her at the time and only found out about the deaths weeks later. It shames him to this day that he did not even get to see the child's body before it was buried but dwarven tradition holds that the corpse should be returned to the earth as soon as possible to facilitate an easy passage of the soul...

He is buried in the family crypt in Stoneheim.

6. Jori - deceased

Albrecht's first son by Eleanor and his sixth official son. Jori was the closest child to his father and as fifth in line to the throne there was such a slight chance of him ever taking the throne that their relationship could crystallize around other aspects of their personalities. Jori was the first child that Albrecht was really 'there for', he was a father to Jori in a way he had not been with his other sons and it gave him joy and sorrow in equal measure. Joy at what he had with the boy and sorrow at what he had so foolishly squandered with Jori's half brothers.

You know all too well what happened to Jori. He died fighting the Blues under Muirthemne alongside you, he is still buried there.

7. Friedelinde

Albrecht's oldest daughter and an officer in the Royal Army, she holds the official rank of Master of the Chariots and is responsible for the maintenance, deployment and command of the kingdom's mobile elements. She is a fierce and rather stubborn 'young lady' and he thinks the two of you would get along famously if you ever met. She is his favourite out of his surviving children and the one he has the most in common with. She spends most of her free time with the designated heirs of house Hesse and Reginar. The three of them together are known as the 'Three Charioteers' and the stories of the battles with the ghôls, their devastating charges and calculated feints, are the stuff of many a barroom tale.

She is with the army on the way to Stoneheim.

8. Dagmar - deceased

Albrecht's second daughter died four months ago when the carriage she was riding in exploded. She was not the target as far as he can tell. He was to head to the Assembly that morning and his personal carriage was prepared for the trip however it was such a beutiful day that at the last minute he decided, on a whim, to take one of the open carriages instead to enjoy the sun. Dagmar wanted to do a little shopping along the high street that day as well and when she asked her father if she could borrow a carriage he offered to let her use his personal one. After all, no one would think of getting in the way of the king's carriage. He had joked that she could skip the morning traffic that way.

As soon as the carriage rolled out of the front gates if detonated.

There was nothing that could be done.

What is left of her is buried in Stoneheim in the family crypt.

9. Heiner - deceased

Albrecht's youngest son, he had volunteered to escort Dagmar around town that day. He was in the carriage when it blew.

He too lies in the family mausoleum.

10. Bärbel

Albrecht's youngest living daughter. She is a cadet in the Royal Army serving under a different name so as not to receive special attention. She has spent her entire life trying to distance herself from her father and her family. In fact she only ever asked him for one thing in her entire life and that was for his permission to let her enroll in the army four months ago. He had readily given it to her though he suspects that she would have done it anyway even if he refused. From what he remembers of her as she grew up she was always a rather sad child, she always looked lost and a little upset and though he tried to help her he did not really know how and she would not or could not tell him how.

She is marching south with the rest of the army as far as he knows. He can give you her assumed name and the number of her regiment if you wish to find her.

11. Lilli - deceased

His youngest daughter. She died fifteen years ago, the victim of a ghôlish attack while on route between Mygard and Stoneheim. Her body was never found, it was assumed that she had been carried off to serve as a snack. She had a degree of magical talent but not enough to save her life. He loved her dearly and her death hit him hard. It hit Eleanor even harder and the two agreed not to have any more children.

An empty coffin with her name on it and a few personal effects rests in their crypt in Stoneheim.

Albrecht also has four known, living bastards.

The first is a mercenary operating out of the poorer end of town. Her name is Letta, she has never tried to contact him or ask him for anything and if her mother had not told him then he would not even know she exists. She runs a small mercenary outfit of about ten, they have a decent reputation but lack the resources to really make a name for themselves barring extraordinary luck. He has often thought about hiring her, giving her a simple contract with a massive paycheck just to help her out but as he watched her it became clear that, that would merely insult her. She is a few years younger the Reinhardt.

The second lives somewhere in the western empire. His name is Udo and his mother was a serving girl, a dwarven exile, at the court of some Imperial noble he can not remember. He was far from home and a different dwarf back then. He only found out she had given birth to his son years later. The boy is a brewer and wants nothing to do with him or the family. His brand is called maul's head and Albrecht hears that it is quite good if you are ever up around Tyr.

The third is a baker in Stoneheim. Not much more to say about him than that.

The fourth, he lowers his voice to a whisper and scans the room.

The fourth is Astrid.

She does not know and he is not sure if he should tell her.
 
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Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Sure, I can give you the same sort of write ups about them that I did for the Arrows, Doves and the like if you would like?

Wenzel's group call themselves the 'Dogs of War', though his group is more commonly referred to as Wenzel's Weasels. Usually not to their faces though.

So:

Wenzel's Weasels

Wenzel's Weasels - Scum, lowlifes, thugs, murderers, there is not a fool, madman or criminal Wenzel has met that he has not hit it off with. This loose and large circle of friends and hangers-on that congregate around the buffoonish prince constitute one of the largest 'mercenary' companies in Myrgard. At over three hundred and fifty members the weasels have the sheer numbers needed to win most conflicts with other companies, or even city guards, without having to resort to any real form of strategy. When they take a job, which is not terribly often, they tend to simply throw 'soldiers' (the name for an entry level Weasel) at it until the problem goes away. The vast majority of the outfit is comprised of poorly armed and armoured dwarves drawn to the 'easy life' that Wenzel promises but there are a number of humans, mauls, and the like within the organization as well. Some claim that Wenzel even employs ghôls as well. Despite the low quality of the rank and file Weasels many of the officers sport unique skills or above average equipment which does allow the Weasels to compete 'on quality' every now and then. Given their seemingly endless numbers, strong financial backing and general ruthlessness it is rare for the Weasels to fail at a contract once they have undertaken it, though colateral damage tends to be high.

The Weasels have only ever failed to deliver on one contract. Seven months ago they were hired to assault the compound of a minor house and kill all of its occupants. The house in question got wind of the impending attack and hired the Arrows to protect them (Ceannard charged them 500WPs to protect the compound on the condition that not one enemy would breach the walls). Approximately two hundred and eighty seven Weasels died that night, not a single member of the target house, nor a single Arrow was injured and the walls of their compound remained unbreached. Needless to say the Weasels and Wenzel do not much like the Black Arrows.

Leader: Wenzel Albrecht

Numbers: Three hundred and eighty five 'soldiers' (a mix of different races and equipment load-outs, each soldier is expected to supply his or her own equipment leading to radically different levels of equipment quality).

Cost:
To fully buy out - N/A, Wenzel does this for fun and the rest follow Wenzel
To buy out but keep Wenzel and his officers on - 1750 WPs
To buy out and make Wenzel a partner - 700 WPs



The Ten Sovereigns

The Ten Sovereigns - A small but well run mercenary group led by the dwarf Letta. The Sovereigns were formed forty years ago in a grubby little tavern in Stoneheim. It was a rather regular night all things considered, ten strangers drank at separate tables in the bar or in ones and twos when a disheveled merchant burst through the front door wailing. He said he had been robbed and he begged the strangers to help him. Well, just like in a storybook they did, the ten strangers followed the merchant out into the night and were cut down by bandits and robbed. The merchant had led them into a trap. Some of those strangers had family, some had friends, one of those friends was Letta, a dwarven veteran of the war. She found out who was responsible for the robbery and tracked them back to a compound southwest of Stoneheim. However there were too many to fight by herself and so instead she tracked done the friends and loved ones of the other strangers that had died. Some were warriors and joined her cause, many more weren't and gave her money and supplies in exchange for the promise of vengeance and justice.

She prepared and then she struck, her and nine other mercenaries, the Ten Sovereigns, so named after the gold their friends and family died for.

The company has a rotating membership but it always stabilizes at ten, when a member dies or retires then a new one is hired. They are not a rich company, not a big one either and they get few contracts because they are so small but also because they are rather picky in the sort of work they will take on.

Leader: Letta

Numbers: Ten, no more, no less. The current lineup is comprised of Letta, five dwarves, a fir'Bolg, two humans and a maul.

Cost:

N/A, they are not the sort of company you buy out.

If you wish to try and incorporate them within your own organization you would have to demonstrate to them that you are 'worth' serving in perpetuity. No one has managed that so far.
 
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Absinthe

Arcane
Joined
Jan 6, 2012
Messages
4,062
What kind of jobs would they do, if we wanted to hire them?

For instance, if we wanted to hire The Ten Sovereigns to help out with investigating the Unforgotten, Unforgiven thing?
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Absinthe said:
What kind of jobs would they do, if we wanted to hire them?

For instance, if we wanted to hire The Ten Sovereigns to help out with investigating the Unforgotten, Unforgiven thing?

Yes, they would be willing to look into that. For a standard investigation job they would charge about 5 WPs a week.

If the job required more than simple investigation (ah, let's say they stumble on a cult to Cthulhu and have to fight their way past a couple dozen cultists for example) then they would want more money of course and they would expect payment to continue the investigation.

As for general jobs, they do not do assassination, they do not do kidnapping, they do not do treason, these are more or less non-negotiable unless they have a personal reason to get involved.

When it comes to what they will do, just about anything else is on the table though a lot will have to do with who the prospective employer is in a given situation and what exactly they need done.
 

Sunnmøring

Novice
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Messages
59
Would we be able to work on picking at people's minds while building up the powerbase to attempt to make sure that a traitor with us won't get us killed?
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Absinthe said:
What do we know about The Ten Sovereigns' equipment/experience?

Members can have widely different skillsets and types of 'hands-on' experience but the standards of admittance to the group are also quite high and a near unanimous vote is required to bring in a new person (7/9 or 5/7 sort of deal, a clear majority essentially) so members of the group tend to be at least above average in their competency.

Each member also looks after their own equipment but again because they undergo a high level of screening each member also tends to be the type that is careful to maintain their equipment in good working order. There can still be quite a difference between the members with 'good' equipment and those that sink all of their money into buying new weapons, armour and tools but at the same time there is also a minimum standard that must be adhered to so no member has 'poor' or faulty equipment. Their equipment is not anything too special though, good quality gear one can get on the open market supplemented by the odd piece from some of the 'grey' markets in the city, nothing magical as far as the king knows and nothing outright illegal either.

He does not know the exact kit that each member possesses nor is he certain about their exact skill levels, unfortunately.

Sunnmøring said:
Would we be able to work on picking at people's minds while building up the powerbase to attempt to make sure that a traitor with us won't get us killed?

Yes, as long as one or both of your mentalists is present when you set about building a powerbase. If both are present then your ability to screen as well as the speed at which you screen will be improved, if only one is present then she will just have to make do on her own. If neither is assigned to the task then you will naturally have to do without the aid of a mentalist in ferreting out possible spies.

Current Tally:

asxetos package:
Cii: Derryth + Thais + Biliku + Uttu,
Civ: Lyssa + Berty + Mayer,

Absinthe package:
Cii: Derryth + Biliku + Uttu,
Ciii: Thais + Caenard (it will take a few days for him to return to the city) + Mayer
Civ: Lyssa + Berty

Jester package:
C2 Derryth
C3 Thais
C5 Lyssa - get to jail and check if there are any Info to get there, failing that get to academy to learn magic.

asxetos:

1. asxetos package

2. B) 30 energon cubes (10/10/10)

Absinthe:

1. Absinthe package?

2. x

Jester:

1. Jester package: > C2

2. A) 5 mandrake roots (2/2/1 ?), B) 12 energon cubes (4/4/4 ?)

Sunnmøring:

1. Biv

2. x
 
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Sunnmøring

Novice
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Messages
59
Going to vote Biv in general, then. Relations with the nobles won't matter so much if we become the strongest power in the kingdom-- it might be that they seek to curry our favor rather than face the destruction that others have been reduced to when opposing us.

I don't really care about the items, if others have intricate plans about that stuff they can go with it.
 

asxetos

Augur
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
820
Location
Greece
Updating my vote:

1:
C:
ii: Derryth + Thais + Biliku + Uttu
iv: Lyssa + Berty + Skite + Mayer


2:
B: Get 10 Energon Cubes for each of our 3 mages for 60WP.
 
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Kz3r0

Arcane
Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
27,013
Nevill said:
Fangshi, did the stone the temple was made of felt similar to the black marble we found in Mayer's mind?
I think I have understood what is Mayer's wife condition, in reality she is a spider goddess specimen exactly as the one Miosguinn had, this seems to have give better results but probably she is not his real wife but the brought back one.
This also entails that Mayer knows quite a lot about the goddess.
Fangshi can we ask Mayer what does he know about the spider goddess and her cult?
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
asxetos said:
Updating my vote:

Noted.

Keep in mind that you also have Skite (the Blackrock officer you sent to testify during the siege) in the city too. If you want to put him to work that is also an option.

Kz3r0 said:
Fangshi can we ask Mayer what does he know about the spider goddess and her cult?

He says not a lot.

The Goddess is worshiped among some of the nobility and in some banker circles though worship of her is technically against the law. Most dwarves that do worship her, worship the aspect of her associated with successful scheming and laying traps, she is 'a goddess of deception in a city full of deceivers', he is quick to point out, so she is quite popular. He could point out some of her more prominent adherents if you wish though he seems to think most of them are wasting their time.

He also mentions that she even has a few full blown minor cults in the city though as far as he can tell they are just an excuse for the rich and idle to get together and have orgies while pretending to serve a higher power and purpose.

Beyond that though matters of religion do not particularly interest him, he claims they never have.

He suspects that Albrecht would have cracked down on these 'known' cultists if he viewed them as a threat but he can't be sure. Perhaps the king simply does not have the resources left to deal with anything but the most important threats.
 
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Kz3r0

Arcane
Joined
May 28, 2008
Messages
27,013
Kz3r0 said:
Fangshi can we ask Mayer what does he know about the spider goddess and her cult?

He says not a lot.

The Goddess is worshiped among some of the nobility and in some banker circles though worship of her is technically against the law. Most dwarves that do worship her, worship the aspect of her associated with successful scheming and laying traps, she is 'a goddess of deception in a city full of deceivers', he is quick to point out, so she is quite popular. He could point out some of her more prominent adherents if you wish though he seems to think most of them are wasting their time.
Yes please.
By the way he seems to know quite a bit despite what he said.
He also mentions that she even has a few full blown minor cults in the city though as far as he can tell they are just an excuse for the rich and idle to get together and have orgies while pretending to serve a higher power and purpose.

Beyond that though matters of religion do not particularly interest him, he claims they never have.

He suspects that Albrecht would have cracked down on these 'known' cultists if he viewed them as a threat but he can't be sure. Perhaps the king simply does not have the resources left to deal with anything but the most important threats.
Great, in hindsight should have been obvious that the dwarven kingdom was still an hotbed of cultists considering that the royal maul was among the spider goddess relics.
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Kz3r0 said:
Yes please.

Alright, time for another list. He is just going to start rattling off names and descriptions.

He will start with the five most 'high profile' cultists in the kingdom:

#1 Birgir - A fairly typical dwarf all things considered. He is chief financial officer for one of the larger mining firms south of Stoneheim but he lives in Myrgard to maintain easy access to the lords and powerbrokers of the kingdom. Mayer has only met the dwarf twice, he found him to be boring, long-winded, and rather short-sighted. He was more concerned with turning quick immediate profits and enjoying his wealth than with securing a steady stream of income or seizing any of the levers of power available to him. Mayer believes that he is a high ranking member of the 'Silver Spinneret' a Spider Goddess pleasure cult in the city, he may even be their high priest. From what Mayer understands they are a group of wealthy and bored aristocrats and bankers that get together, inject themselves with hallucinogenic poisons and indulge themselves in every vice they can conceive of. Birgir has been in Stoneheim with his wife for the last eight months or so, overseeing the construction of a new office complex there otherwise you would have met him when you paid visits to the great bankers of the city.

#2 Anja - Birgir's wife. Half his age and twice as smart, Mayer found her intriguing at first but all she really seemed interested in was tricking him into joining their cult. When he declined she attempted to blackmail him, it did not work out well for her or her husband. Threats were made, Birgir lost a quarter of his fortune overnight and the couple stopped bothering Mayer. Of course this spat also served to isolate Mayer socially from much of the banking world, Birgir and his wife are very popular.

#3 Asger - The Champion of House Reginar and a master at single combat with a blade. Mayer only knows the dwarf by reputation but he is said to be merciless to the foes of his master, the champion is likely with Hesse at your fort but you did not meet him while you were there.

#4 Ebba - Mayer has heard that she is something of a celebrity among cultist circles. She is an imperial dwarf, a member of one of the families that decided to remain in human lands after the Kingdom was reestablished, supposedly she can see the future 'through the strands of the Goddess' web'. Mayer scoffs, he says that she is a fraud and that no one can simply predict the future (Derryth is not sure though, she has heard stories of the Total Codex and its ability to read the future, perhaps it is possible for a person to do the same). Ebba has taken over the other cult of the Goddess in the city and has renamed it the 'Spun Truth', as far as Mayer knows it is just another pleasure cult but he is willing to admit that he does not actually know what either cult does, he is merely baseing his assumptions on what he can learn from others.

#5 Hallr - Professor at the Royal Academy. Hallr does not travel in the same social circles as Mayer does so he knows little about the dwarf other than what his agents tell him. Supposedly there is good reason to believe the Hallr is a cultist and that he has been trying to involve other fellows of the Academy in his worship. Mayer does not know how successful Hallr has been or even if the government is aware of the cultist's attempts.

There are also a number of high ranking individuals that may be cultists but Mayer can not be certain. He has heard rumors about Lords Hesse and Berg, about two of Albrecht's sons (Timo and Jan) and about several members of the Goldsmith's guild as well. He does not know if these people are followers of the Spider Goddess, some other cult or are completely innocent and just the victims of vicious rumour.

Kz3r0 said:
By the way he seems to know quite a bit despite what he said.

Well he is quite well connected and he is a collector of information. For him a 'little' might mean more than most, for example there are few dwarves outside of Albrecht's inner circle that know as much about the Pathfinders as he does and when it comes to finance the dwarf seems to have an almost supernatural gift so he may just like to stay abreast of what is going on in the kingdom.

Or he might be a cultist himself, Derryth is willing to consider that possibility as unfortunate as it would be. ;)
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Damn, can't get enough time to come up with a cohesive plan and post it here.

1) Fangshi, if Albrecht gives us an authority to act as we see fit, can he give us a symbol of his power and a letter to the effect of the one Richelieu gave to Milady? "By My order, and for the good of the State, the bearer has done what has been done." Something that would help us to rally the resourses still loyal to the king under our banner if necessary? And something that would prevent us from being hanged immediately if we pulverize one of the higher-ups.

2) Ask him about the genesis of the Royal House of Albrecht and of any deals his ancestors might have had with, ah, forces that are not entirely aligned with the Light? Any agreements made and/or broken on their part? I am intereted in this 'Unforgotten, Unforgiven' business manifesting itself now of all times.

3) He seemed to have known about the crows and eagles for some time now. Why didn't he reveal that information to us when we asked? Is there anything about the riders and the robed figures he didn't tell us as well?

4) Who was that necromancer, why does the Watcher and the Eberhardt rebels are so keen on freeing her, why did they refuse to tell us anything about her before, and what have they managed to learn from her so far? For that matter, why was she still alive?

5) Are the two Oneiroi prisoners among the escapees, or are they dead? Morpheus said they stopped dreaming a while ago. If they are alive, it might tell us something about the nature of the threat we are dealing with.

6) Who are the major royalist houses and what are their roles and assets in the kingdom? Their armies, their finances, the spheres they control, the resourses they can muster, their relationships to the crown and to the other houses that we might exploit or at least should keep in mind when dealing with them. Have him give us a rundown about the whole political mess that is the kingdom, we've had enough of being used in the dark already. What resourses are still firmly in Albrecht's control, if any? They didn't send their whole army south, did they? There might have been something left.

If one or more of the Great Lords turn out to be traitors, what should be our course of actions? Kill them, supplant them, expose them? What the hell are we supposed to do?

I feel like getting behind something akin to asxetos' plan. If there is a traitor in the family, they would stay close to the king to gather information, while sending the Lords loyal to them with the army to sabotage their efforts. We need to investigate the children in the capital, and we need to sort through the resourses and build something that is not compromised and that we can work with.

7) I know this might be extremely hard for him... but why is he quicker to suspect the children than Eleanore? Not that we have anything against her.

Also, I propose this:

3. Now that you have heard half of the Great Houses were compromised, you have your doubts about whether you should have left your fort in the hands of Hesse and Welf.
A) You ask Albrext to recall Hesse and his forces under any pretext he can think of. (to reinforce Stoneheim army, to guard the capital? Not sure myself where I want them. Besides, they aren't even an army.)
B) You recall Lord Welf and his forces.
C) You recall both Lords. You have summoned them to help with the undead menace, and you do not need them now that it is already dealt with.
D) You do not act upon this. They are not an immediate concern, and it might be a good idea to keep the Lords where your allies may observe them.
 
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Azira

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
8,519
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Codex 2012
Well well. If we trust the information Mayer has, then the most pertinent leads as to who the cultist are seems to be in town, and not with the army. Interesting.

Also, when will you update us about the rolls? Please? :desu:
 

zerozero

Literate
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
41
Thanks for your big update and hard work :)

Could you give me a timeline on our adventures from the start.

How long did the first arc take? 3 month break i think and how long has passed since The parting of ways. How long until the nominal 1 year re-union?

Cheers
 

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